We liked Anne and Mike a lot, very easy to get along with and very friendly hosts. I think if we had just stayed in a hotel, the trip would have been much less memorable and enjoyable.
The pool at the end of the day was incredible. To be able to come back from diving/snorkeling and have a pool 10 feet away from your room where your refrigerator has a couple of cold beers in it makes not only that day nice but gives you something to look forward to on all the other days as well. Somehow, this was so much more relaxing than a hotel pool. Of course, there weren't any other people there so if the goal is socializing in the pool, you'd be better off somewhere else.
We used the room as a base to explore the island and it worked perfectly. The beach is not a long walk and since they let us use bikes, it is not a problem. However, for exploring the rest of hte island, I would recommend a car or scooter for getting around. Getting back to the B&B from Lucaya or Freeport is not hard but getting to the restaurants or other places requires either walking, phoning for a cab or hoping for a bus. All of these options are possible and not a big problem but on vacation I prefer the luxury of just leaving whenever I want. As someone noted, Mike is very congenial and often offered to provide lifts to town but this shouldn't be expected.
The place itself was clean, comfortable, spacious and dry. It wasn't frou frou as someone said - it was like staying with your favorite aunt and uncle. However, the big four criteria: clean, safe, dry and comfortable were well met. In addition, spacious, comfortable, friendly and cost effective can be added. The room had a microwave, refrigerator, dishes, a few small plastic pots and coffee, tea, etc.. Being vegetarians, we brought some of our own food (because we never really know what to expect on vacation and feared a week of french fries). We were able to cook enough to not feel the need to always run out to make dinner or lunch - which is really nice on vacation. Also, we bought can of iced tea mix and kept a jug of ice tea in the fridge.
The room also had numerous guide books for the island which supplemented Mike and Anne's local knowledge.
In summation, we've stayed in luxury hotels, big colonial B&Bs, pubs, guest houses, and a few European converted castles. This week ranks up there with the most enjoyable weeks we've had. Some of that was the island, some of that was that we wanted to just relax and not do anything for a change but you have to figure that the B&B played a large supporting role at the least.
Oh, I forgot. Free wireless! I had to work one day, much to the disgust of everyone, but the wireless came through for me. The rest of the week we used it for making skype phone calls for free back to the mainland.
i added elegant to the checklist. No, it is not elegant in the Louis the 14th sense but in it's way, elegant (and beautiful) fits.
